NFL.com has recently begun a new offseason list, something that is fun to do when there is no other news to report on. The latest is looking back on the 2011 season and picking out the top 20 games of the season. In the inaugural post revealing number 20, the Arizona Cardinals show up on the list. The 20th best game of the season was when the Cards hosted the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.
Why is it in the top 20?
In a nutshell, these two teams were the two worst offensive teams in 2010. They came out and put together a offensive show. Cam Newton showed up and had a record. Here is some of the article's reasoning:
Why this Game is No. 20: No one expected Newton to eclipse 400 yards passing in his first career start. This was Cam's coming-out party, in the context of an offensive barnburner featuring two teams that certainly were not expected to be sexy...
Why Not Higher: ... well, the same reason as above. No one thinks of Panthers-Cardinals when they look back at the 2011 season. This ballgame had little-to-no effect on the broader NFL spectrum, and ultimately featured two mediocre clubs. But it was an exciting contest nonetheless, with one of the most dynamic rookies in NFL history as its centerpiece. I would say that is enough.
There were some great moments. Of course, the greatest was the punt return by Patrick Peterson that turned out to be the game-winner. There was the Jeff King touchdown. There were a few throws by Cam Newton.
Although there was a bit of sloppiness on both sides of the ball, it turned out to be quite the fun game.
Would you agree? Should this game have been in the top 20? Does it deserve to be higher? Let us know in the comments.
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